For a promising distance runner, it’s difficult to picture a better place to grow up than Eugene. With a rich cultural and historical heritage ranging from the legend of Steve Prefontaine to Hayward Field to the origins of Nike, Eugene has long been the mecca of distance running.

Matthew Melancon went to Sheldon High School, a mere 10-minute drive from the University of Oregon. The Eugene native was an Oregon prep distance star, winning two individual Oregon 6A cross country championships. Now a key contributor to a long distance program he grew up idolizing, Melancon has soaked in the rich history that embodies the UO.

“It’s really just an honor to be here,” Melancon said. “You’ve grown up with this history and you hear all the stories about Pre, Bill McChesney (school record holder in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters) and all these really great runners who have come from Oregon.”

Melancon’s accolades at the prep level have quickly translated into success at the collegiate ranks. He broke out last year as a redshirt freshman, finishing second on the team at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall and qualifying for the NCAA championships at 10,000 meters during track season.

For senior Tim Costin, he always knew that he wanted to be a part of the storied Oregon program. As a distance runner at Springfield High School, he would often find himself running past Oregon runners on Pre’s Trail — the illustrious route on the north side of the Willamette River.

“It was kind of like if you were a high school basketball player and Kobe was warming up on the same court as you,” Costin said.

Another aspect that makes Eugene such a magnet for distance runners is the unparalleled passion and knowledge that fans have for the sport. For someone like Costin, who grew up surrounded by such an environment, it’s hard to imagine running anywhere else.

“It’s great to be somewhere where your sport is appreciated,” Costin said. “A lot of places elsewhere don’t give it much of a focus. As a place where a guy wearing short shorts is getting cheered for, that’s a pretty good place to be.”

Melancon and Costin are just two of the local products that make up this year’s Oregon distance program. Two of Melancon’s former high school teammates at Sheldon, Jackson Darland and Maggie Schmaedick, are now freshmen on the team. Schmaedick has emerged as one of the top runners on the women’s squad, placing among the first four Oregon finishers at each of her first two collegiate races.

“Anytime we can get (a local runner) to come in and do well in our program, it’s a feather in our cap for us as a staff,” Oregon cross country head coach Robert Johnson said, regarding Schmaedick’s early success.

For a local distance runner who has grown up in Eugene, donning the Oregon green and yellow is a lot more than being part of a perennial national contender. It’s also about becoming part of a celebrated line of runners that includes Prefontaine, Bill Dellinger, Alberto Salazar and Galen Rupp, among other distance legends.

“It’s really cool to just join the legacy so to speak,” Melancon said. “There’s nothing quite like it.”